Several species may be routinely held in a single facility, provided the requirements or habits of the species are not in conflict; e.g., nervous and raucous species should be separated. Although some experiments may necessitate physical separation of species, others may require mixed-species housing (e.g., a study of brood parasitism by viduine finches on estrildids, or a study of interspecific song acquisition).
Studies of social behavior of group-living species may require
housing birds in groups in the same enclosure. Because of the
diversity of housing needs, the method of housing must rely upon
the expertise of the investigator. Care should be taken not to mix
species if one may carry a disease that is fatal in the other.
